Cinema: The New Pictures, may 23, 1955

The Prodigal (MGM) is one more Biblical exegesis by the box office
theologians of Hollywood. A freewheeling, full-color CinemaScopic
plunge into the anachronistic past, the film is based on the parable of
the prodigal son according to St. Luke, but the scenario is jazzed up
with additional story by a trio of latter-day prophets (Maurice Zimm,
Joe Breen Jr., Samuel James Larsen).

Prodigal gets off winging as fun-loving Micah (Edmund Purdom) and
sober-minded brother Joram (John Dehner) come galloping
hell-for-leather down the main street of Joppa; with true Hollywood
ingenuity, they are using...